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The BBC News channel began running a recorded programme just minutes after the walkout began. The recorded programme is a repeat of the earlier show. After three hours of complete disruption the channel began running with 50 per cent original output.

A BBC spokesman said that Radio 4’s flagship current affairs programme, Today, is expected to air as normal tomorrow morning.

Union members started a 12 hour strike at midday and will follow the action with a work to rule. A Bectu spokeswoman said that the disruption to services showed that the action was successful.

The action, by members of the National Union of Journalists and Bectu, the technicians union, is a protest at the so-called delivering quality first (DQF) programme which will lead to 2,000 job losses.

It follows an earlier strike last month, which saw flagship programmes including the Today show and Newsnight being disrupted.

The BBC apologised for any disruption caused by the strike, but said it could not agree to union calls for compulsory job losses to be postponed.

They welcomed the announcement that staff would return to work if Nelson Mandela passed away, adding: "It is a tribute to the character of BBC staff."

The NUJ vote was 61 per cent in favour of stoppages, while backing among Bectu members was 56 per cent.

Michelle Stanistreet, general secretary of the NUJ, said workers were sending a clear message to the BBC that it needed to address problems created by the "ill conceived and badly implemented" cuts.

She said: "It is disappointing that once again the BBC has decided not to properly engage, refusing our call for a moratorium to give space for meaningful discussions on the worrying impact of the cuts. The DQF plans remain on the table, regardless of the consequence for workload and stress levels.

"We know that the cuts are already having an impact on the quality of work. We know that it is leading to unacceptable workloads and stress.

"We know that management is using DQF as a means to harass and bully staff – making worse an already entrenched problem of bullying that has been largely ignored by those in positions of power."

Gerry Morrissey, general secretary of Bectu, said: "Our members are suffering because the BBC thinks it can deliver the same levels of output with many fewer staff.

"The reality is that excessive workloads caused by massive job cuts are already taking their toll with staff reporting more stress, more bullying and more harassment.

"The BBC has a duty of care which it is not exercising currently and it is great pity that strike action is needed to make senior managers take the issues seriously."

The unions said they are confident that the strike will be well supported, amid warnings that staff morale was at "rock bottom."

The NUJ and Bectu have called for a six month moratorium on job cuts to allow for a review of workplace issues.

A BBC spokesman said: "We are extremely disappointed that the unions have gone ahead with the strike and apologise to our audiences for the disruption to services.

"We have had constructive meetings with the unions in recent weeks and whilst we're unable to postpone planned compulsory redundancies for six months as they requested, we do agree that stress and workload are areas of real concern.

"If workloads are going up because of the pressures of working in a 24/7 digital media environment and implementing savings, it’s in everyone’s interest to understand the issues and work with individuals, their managers and the unions to address it.”